I find it very upsetting, and unhelpful in the health care debate, to hear Republicans and so-called conservatives arguing against Obamacare, while saying they support Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. These programs are just as socialist in nature as the proposed national health care plan. The creation of a “safety net” by the federal government may be well intended, but these programs are unconstitutional and infringe upon the liberty of a free people.

 

No provision exists anywhere in the Constitution which would allow the federal government to create these “safety net” programs. Maybe liberal constitutional scholars, such as Mr. Obama, can try to interpret the words and invent some hidden meaning within the text to justify creating these programs, but to do so is an affront to the Founding Fathers, the rule of law, and would be a bold faced lie. Not to get off on a tangent, but the Constitution is not a “living document” to be interpreted as one sees fit. This would negate its very purpose as a source of absolute law since the ability to redefine and reinterpret the text creates a situation whereby those in power can rule according to their individual thoughts and feelings, i.e., a tyranny.

According to the Tenth Amendment, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” So should there arise a necessary and proper function of government not provided for within the Constitution, the responsibility rests upon the individual State governments to take action. 

Then the question still remains, “Is it a proper function of government to provide health care or retirement benefits for people?” First, examine exactly what this function of government implies. A free people enjoy the opportunity to make their own choices in life, and use their talents and abilities as they see fit. An individual can make millions of dollars in a free market and blow it all on material possessions, or use it to help the needy. A free people also create a government bound by the rule of law to protect them from harm and serve their interests. But when representatives in government enact plans like Social Security or socialized medicine, what the representatives are really saying is, “Even though you people used your good judgment to vote us into office to serve you, we don’t think your judgment is good enough to take care of your own lives, or to help those in your community.” So instead of allowing citizens to donate their time and their own hard earned money to any number or private sector or non-profit organizations and programs, the representatives in government decide to steal money from your wages and force you to take care of others.

This is not an argument against taxation. The Constitution enacts specific functions of government which require funding from the people. But when the government creates unconstitutional programs and taxes people to fund them, this is outright theft.

Taking care of the poor and sick are indeed humane and Godly deeds, but breaking God’s commandment of “Thou shall not steal” to do so is unjust. If some billionaire would rather spend his money on expensive playthings instead of donating to the sick, his choice may be deplorable, but he should be free to make that decision. No American should be forced to fund an illegitimate function of government, no matter how good the cause might seem.

Are we truly incapable of taking care of our own lives? Are Americans unable to save money for when we get sick, or for retirement? Do we really lack the capacity to take care of the sick, the needy, and the elderly in our communities without being forced to do so?

For our society to return to an era of personal responsibility will take some time after decades of relying on the government and its “safety net.” The health care system in this country undoubtedly needs reform, but those reforms should be constitutional and based on free market principles.

If you walk up to any person on the street and ask, “Would you like to be a slave?” odds are that 99.99% of the time, the answer will be “No.” Slavery in any form is a degrading and brutal way to live one’s life. The history of slavery in America is no exception. The mention of slavery in America tends to conjure images of black men and women wearing rags and picking cotton in the heat while being whipped by a man on a horse. The impact of black slavery still influences the thoughts and actions of many Americans today, especially in terms of race relations, equality, and achievement.

 

So if being a slave is such a horrible station in life, why are so many Americans, especially in the black community, voluntarily embracing slavery? The slavery I am referring to is slavery to a tyrannical governmental system. This embrace has happened slowly over many decades as the people accept more and more leftist policies which erode personal freedom. But make no mistake; the acceptance has been voluntary as people willingly make themselves servants of the government. 

I emphasize acceptance of this form of slavery within the black community due to the great irony of the situation. An overwhelming majority of black Americans support the same leftist politicians imposing this slavery upon them and the rest of the country, including our first black president, Barack Hussein Obama.

So many in America believe that giving the government more power and influence over their lives is the key to solving all the country’s problems and creating a better tomorrow. Sean Hannity calls this line of thinking, “government derangement syndrome.” He says liberals, “worship at the altar of big government,” despite all the evidence which shows that government just makes life worse. Like Hannity, I just cannot understand their mindset.

Liberals want government run health care, government run schools, government run auto manufacturers, government run banks, government mortgages, government controlled CEOs, etc. They want the federal government to tell people what they can and cannot eat, to read their credit card contracts for them, to control their state and local governments, to control who lives and who dies in this country, and on and on. If only somehow the government could make every single decision for them for the rest of their lives, liberals would be in a utopia (provided that funding for the decision making and implementation process comes from taxing the rich at 99%).

How can any reasonable person look at life like this and not see slavery? The overarching principle which caused the American colonies to fight against the British and bring our country into existence, and which made America the greatest country in the history of the world, is liberty. The belief in a God given right to liberty for all men is what made America great. 

Those who believe in liberty are the ones speaking out at town hall debates on health care, and engaging in protests all across the country. Those who believe in liberty are the ones who support family choice for, and local control of, their children’s schools. The believers in liberty support the right to life of the unborn, elderly, and infirmed. Supporters of liberty believe in the principles of capitalism and the free market; that any person no matter what their station in life can use their God given talents to create a better life for themselves through hard work. They believe in following the Constitution, and the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence.

Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, corporate bailouts, the “stimulus,” Cash for Clunkers, government housing, government schools—all failures of questionable constitutionality created by the federal government. And the list goes on for decades. 

Americans are not supposed to be servants of the government. We pay these people to serve us! But if people continue to choose and quietly accept the policies of slavery, we can kiss liberty goodbye.